Exercising machine



Patented Aug. 30, 1938 UNITED STATES EXERCISING MACHINE William A.Schollmeyer, Yonkers, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Otto Jagielski,Yonkers,,N. Y.

Application March 15, 1935, Serial No. 11,232

Claims.

My invention relates to machines for exercising the muscles of the humanbody and particularly to a machine suitable to be applied in either astanding or sitting posture or in fact, such other 5 positions as whenkneeling or squatting as the operator may desire. This flexibility ofthe application of my device is in contrast to devices for rowing onlyor those which may require the operator to stand during exercise.

My invention has among its objects;

To provide a compact portable machine which may be arranged fordeveloping the muscles as when rowing or upon which the operator maystand as when lifting weights.

To provide a machine which may be adjusted easily to give the desiredtensions to suit the strength of the person using it.

To provide an exercising machine having the wearing parts easilyaccessible and replaceable at low cost Without tools or the services ofa mechanic.

To provide a self contained exercising machine of light weight andattractive appearance.

I accomplish these and other objects by the 5 construction hereindescribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a parthereof in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective View with parts removed to show the interiormechanism.

Figure 2 is a plan view with parts removed to reveal the interior. Thisview may also serve as an elevation of my device when used for rowingand other exercises in which the machine rests on edge.

Figure 3 is a detail of one of the Siamese deck rope pulleys.

Figure 4 is a section at 4 Figure 2 with part of the platform removed toshow one of the.

clamps and Siamese pulleys.

Figure 5 is an end elevation showing the application of my device inedgewise position.

Figure 6 is a detail of one of the interior bridges. Figure '7 is adetail in section of one of the clamps.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the accompanying drawing and in the followingspecification in which the parts and their operation are more fullydescribed.

My exercising machine comprises a rectangular box shaped housing Ihaving a platform 2 between the ends 3 where the hand grips 4 arepositioned when retracted to their resting position.

As the platform 2 is of substantially greater width than the housing I Ihave provided there under and at the side of said housing a compartment5 suitable to store spare parts and of a depth equal to and flush withthe bottom face 6 of said housing thereby forming a solid base for mydevice.

The edge I of said housing on the opposite side from said compartment 5is straight throughout the length of the housing I and forms a base formy machine when it is used for rowing and other exercises during whichthe operator sits on the floor pushing the feet against the platform 2as shown in Figure 5 of the drawing. When in this edgewise position mydevice may be held in a vertical position or at an inclined anglethereto by the adjustment of the swingingly mounted rest 8 secured tothe exterior of the compartment 5 by the thumb screws 9 which also serveto lock said rest in the desired position thereby permitting anadjustment of the inclination of any device.

The platform 2 is preferably faced with an antislip mat of rubber or thelike Ill having a ribbed or other raised surface I I.

To gain access to the compartment 5 I have provided the slide l2normally closing the bottom of said compartment and suitable to travelin the grooves i3 in the end walls l4 of said compartment 5. Likewisethe interior of the housing I is accessible by means of the slide l5traveling in the grooves [6 in the front wall I! and rear wall I8 bothof which form the girders through which the strains of pulling on thehand grips 4 is transmitted to the platform 2. The deck I?) of thehousing I at each side of the platform together with the end pieces 20comlpete its inclosure.

Within the housing I and inserted in the verticalgrooves 2| near theends 3 thereof I have provided the bridges 22 to which are secured thesprings 23 by means of the eyebolts 24 engaged in the apertures 25. Saidbridges are also provided with the slots 26 which receive the stirrups2'! into which the pulleys 28 are rotatably mounted. The apertures 29are also provided in said bridge to engage the knotted ends 30 of theropes 3!. The opposite ends of said ropes are secured to the stirrups 32of the hand grips 4. The slide it: prevents the removal of the bridges22 until it is removed. The opposite ends of the springs 23 are securedto the two part pulley blocks 33. Thus the bridges, springs and pulleyblocks as well as the rope end at each end of my device are duplicatedexcept that the arrangement of the parts are relatively at oppositesides of the housing l.

Secured to the center of the deck l9 near each end I have provided theSiamese pulleys 34 through which the ropes 3| may freelypass and due tothe depth of the grooves and the close centers on which these pulleysare mounted in the plates 35 the ropes may be pulled at a great angle tothe perpendicular to said deck without binding or jamming the ropes.

The ropes and the relationship of the pulleys over which they run may beunderstood by the following:

From the knotted end of each of the two ropes, part a, they pass underand over the pulleys b of the pulley blocks 33 there as part 0 they passover and under the pulleys 28, then as part d under and over the pulleyse of the pulley blocks 33, then as part 1 under and through the Siamesepulleys 34 to the hand grips 4. Thus the grips 4 have a four partpurchase in stretching the springs 23; four lines and double pulleyblocks being used. I

I have however, provided screw clamps 35 adapted to engage part c of theropes causing the use of only two parts or one half of the double pulleyblocks 33 thereby increasing the pull on said hand grips 4 to twice theamount normally available with the use of the same springs 23. By theuse of the clamps 36 of course the length of travel of the hand grips 4normally is considerably reduced.

Springs 23 of various size and tension may be easily interchanged and inthe compartment 5 I have shown a suitable manner of storing sparesprings not in use by engaging the ends with the hooks 31 secured to theinterior of the end walls l4 of said compartment 5. I

The plates 38 for the clamps 36 .as well as the plates 35 for theSiamese pulleys and the bridges 22 are preferably made of stamped sheetmetal and flanged for strength. The flanges 39 of the plates 35 and 40of the plates 38 also serve to prevent the shear strain from looseningthe screws 4| when soft material such as wood is used for the deck N3,the flanges 39 and 40 engaging the ends of the opening cut in the woodor other soft material.

My device may be operated and applied in many ways both when lying withthe bottom on the floor as shown in Figure l or as on edge as shown inFigure 5.

The extreme length of travel due to the use of a 4-part line enables theoperator to pull the hand grips 4 to a position where the arms arestraight upward over the head when standing on the platform 2; atraverse of more than seven feet. The numerous exercises need not beenumerated here as it is apparentthat the various degrees of tensionavailable is merely .a matter of the use of changing the springs 23 orby stopping two of the four parts of the rope by means of the clamps 35.I

I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction herein describedin detail as many modifications may be employed to suit variousapplications of my device as covered by the appended claims whichsuccinctlyset forth my invention.

I claim:

1. In an exercising machine having a housing and a platform midway theends thereof, said housing projecting substantially beyond said platformat each end, said housing having springs, ropes and pulley blockssecured to said springs, said ropes having hand grips on the exterior ofsaid housing and secured to the ends of said ropes which pass throughthe deck of said housing and are retracted by said springs, and bridgessecuring said springsto the interior of said housing and front and rearwalls to said housing having vertical grooves to receive said bridgeswhereby said bridges may be easily removed.

2. In an exercising machine, having a housing forming a rectangularbeam, and a platform between the ends thereof, said housing havingsprings, ropes and'pulley blocks secured to said springs therein andhand grips secured to the ends of saidropes and retracted by saidsprings, bridges securing said springs to the interior of said housing,thefront and rear walls to said housing having longitudinal groovestherein and a slide covering the bottom of said housing removablysliding in said longitudinal grooves in said front and-rear wallswhereby access may be quickly gained to the interior of said housing,

said bridges engaging vertical grooves in said front and rear walls ofsaid housing and held in place by said slide and removable only afterremoving said slide.

3. In an exercising machine, a housing, a platform between the endsthereof, and a compartment under said platform and a swingingly mountedrest secured to the end walls of said compartment whereby said machinemay be held in an inclined position.

4. In an exercising machine, a housing, a platform between the endsthereof, and a compartment under said platform and a swingingly mountedrest secured to the end walls of said compartment whereby said machinemay be held in an inclined position and means for locking saidrest inany desired position.

5. In an exercising machine, a housing forming a beam having springs,ropes and pulleys within it and having a platform between the ends ofthe beam, said ropes passing over the pulleys within the housing andeach rope having one end secured within the housing and the other endpassing through the housing to hand grips and means holding one of theparts of each of said ropes whereby'both the'relative tension of thesprings to said hand grips and the relative traverse of said hand gripsare changed.

WILLIAM A. SCH OLLMEYER.

